Ladies And Gentlemen of the Jury

Have you reached a verdict?
We have your honor,
We find the defendant, birthday carrot cake
DELICIOUS as charged!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Oh My Cakin' Bones!

This is unbelievable! I can't wait!

Team Captains

Fresh Mouth

So, I almost put hand soap on my toothbrush this morning.

Not even liquid soap. Just a lil' scented bar.

I just lost TWO posts

And now you won't get one :OP

But you will, you little devils, you WILL!

Consumer Memories

I remember that Bradlees was *the* department store growing up. Well, now that I think of it, there was a Woolworth's, which seems more historical due to the civil rights movement. I spilled hot tea on my lap as a toddler at one of the two and screamed like the dickens, I am told. I may have also broken a tooth on a coathanger. After that, I used to order bagels with cream cheese. I'm sure you can all identify with that.
Upon further reflection, I've deduced that the spillage must have occured at the Bradlee's restaurant, simply because I remember the counter at Woolworth's quite distinctly. I used to get those lollipop rings at Woolworth's and also this candy named "Punkys" or something like that. On the box there were anthropmorphized candy tablets, at least one of which had a mohawk.
The way this all got started was me remember how I used to buy all my cassette tapes at Bradlees. There was a tiny section in the corner of the store for music. This was pretty much my only source for music for quite a while. I recall, having learned of better music sources, trying Bradlees for an album that I was having trouble finding. Oh, the irony.
Near the tape section was a little book area. I recall seeing, in this area, a book all about the Seinfeld show, collecting together all of your favorite moments from what must have been the first *few* seasons. I recall thinking "how un-necessary...", though I was the owner of a similar book about "The Simpsons." I didn't get FOX at home, so I was desperate to get all the info I could through the school book club.

Houthton, we haff a throblem

So Trixie was just singing the family ties theme song into my thumb ... and suddenly stopped, and said:
There's Thumb Sing wrong here... Thumb Sing's gone terribly wrong...

Meats On Sticks

When my friend Michael was in Thailand, he wrote me an email saying:
"There are so many delicious meats on sticks here and every time I see a vendor I think about how much you would love this food." Or something like that. I would expect that eventually he grew able to see meat-on-stick vendors without thinking of me.

Cogs, Watches

Lots of Rain waiting to happen out there. Iggy looks repentant, but is still not to be trusted. He always looks repentant in the mornings. I might do homework in a coffe shop today -- a first. I've always held the notion that people working in coffee shops were not getting much done except establishing an image as a caffeine-powered intellect. Or a caffeine-addicted intelpower? I'm carrying my umbrella with me today ,discreetly in my backpack.

The Dog House

Iggy is in the doghouse because he ate a squashed dead bird type animal and I am not in the mood to be licked by such a mouth.

Emosewa Fleam Find and Punkin' Head

O.k., I don't mean to overwhelm The Cusp with ratty-assed pictures of myself, but I just had to show ya'll:



See! A great find, and a perfectly acceptable Pumpkin Head haircut. Hee Hee...O.k. so I am trying to grow it out...give me a break, huh?

My man is comin' to town tonight...woop! woop!

Pucarapsa

Semi-big things in the works today. Didn't take the bus -- had my reasons. Possible Yam session this afternoon.
From Wikipedia: In colonial New Haven, CT, cut pumpkins were used as guides for haircuts to ensure a round, uniform style. Because of this fashion, New Englanders were nicknamed "pumpkin-heads."
Rest assured that I will be complimenting passersby on their round, uniform styles this weekend.

On a more mundane note, I have been making sandwiches for lunch, which is exciting.

Toots!

I am listening to Toots Thielemans and my fingers are cold. The bike-riding to work is going well. But the weather is still tricky with its hots and colds all interspersed.

I have so much on my mind. And I am excited about the prospect of the summer and all her BBQs.

I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

All I want is to be surrounded by good people. And, yeah, I'd like to work for myself. But good people! And mutual respect! And oh...can I make my own hours?

Thanks.

Tilted and Enchanted

So... I am moving this summer. I can't wait to have floors that are within 5 degrees of being level. When this is not the case, one really notices it when sitting in a swivel chair. For example, If I take my hands away from the keyboard, I will turn counterclockwise about pi/3 radians. Just tried it. Turns out that it's more like pi/2 radians. Isn't that great? Another thing that's great is that I'm using Netscape 4.8 to blog this. Don't ask. Speaking of Netscape, I remember being *impressed* by the antiquated look of Marlboro College's website when I was a senior in highschool. It looked like the old RIP graphics that were a fad on BBSs for a while. It was like high-resolution EGA.
I was slightly miffed when they modernized.

This is the dawning ...

... of the age of Asparagus.

Welp.

Let's have three cheers for spring! Even though the bus driver seemed spastic and distracted and not really the person I wanted most to be piloting a vehicle, it's a very nice morning out there.
I did a lil homework (!!!) and made some blog template changes. Verrrry Interesting, you say?
Heading back in time an hour or so, I got of the bus at a farther stop and did some more walking. Doing this actually seems to put me only about 100 feet behind the people who get off at the next stop, so it's win-win. The ducks on the pond were all quacktastic. Flowering trees are smellin' good. Givin' an exam today. Ahhh.

SMELLS!

Doesn't it just SMELL like summer out??

A told me to tell you.

I cooked broc tonight and that coupled with the scent coming off the night air through my open window had me drifiting through time somehow to so many other places...ages...

I am beginning to think maybe...JUST MAYBE...summer might be catching up to winter in my list of favorites. It has always been in DEAD last...and really, this IS techincally spring (numero dos on the list)...but hmmmm....can the SMELLS nose the horse of summer into third?

The Classic Detonating Pizza Dream

T: and this italian dude came and set the pizza up and was all set to push the lever and i was like "WAIT! I didn't order that!"
A : hahahah!
A : oh i thought it was a SNEAKY detonating pizza
T : but it was too late and he pushed it and it went KABLAM!
A : noooooooooooooo
T: but more like POP!
T : or THUD!
A : ooooooh?
A : can you blog that?
T : or something almost HOLLOW sounding, but resonating and deep
T : what? the pizza?
A : yes
T : maybe!!!
T : you can!
T : but you have to tell them that we had recived a sneaky pizza EARLIER that we also didn't order that almst blew my mom's face off all that hot cheese
T : but you can say it more delicately
A : it's like action movie revenge plot
T : but just so they can see why i was MAD!
A : RIGHT!
T : but then i went inside to look up "ernie's Pizza" in the yellow pages and there was a menu and detonating pizza was ON it!!!
A : was it the price of a normal pizza?
T : hhahahahh i don't know!
A : haha... did it have a little hot pepper icon next to it? :-)
T : well, kinda' it hada star!!!!
A : ooooh
A : like a BLAMMO star
T : yes!

Uh...ARRRR!

Have I said that already?

What kind of shipmate am I???

Fleam

The flea market is open on SUNDAYS, folks. Lots and lots of crap. Only got one thing, and it is "awesome."

-- as in, it's a suncatcher that is the word "Awesome" spelled in an awesome script and 3-colored goodness. It looked *really* good on my window, but I couldn't keep it from its true destiny. I am ready for a suncatcher renaissance. Just say the word. Please Please Please let that word be "awesome."

I am on a green streak.
pistachios --> avocado --> banana? ok. the streak ended. but i'm hoping to hit a home run with some thai green curry 2nite.

Feat. Arc Cold

My feet are cold, but I'm stubbornly pretending that it's REALLY WARM at the moment. Don't get me wrong -- it IS warm out, in the sun. But I'm not in the sun.

I had a beer after going for a longish walk and happened to learn that boiled salted soybeans are a popular with-beer snack in Japan. There's even a variety called "Beer Friend." Now I'm curious. As the old saying goes, a friend of beer is a friend of mine.

I'm suddenly wondering if the flea market at the drive-in is open today. I'm usually very good at not wanting to buy useless crap -- but the thought of maybe finding a very cool houseplant or musical instrument might just be enough to get me over there.

Cradle the Robin

I make lists for EVERYthing. Lists of things to do today (check oil, do laundry, buy bread). Lists of people who's birthdays are coming up and holidays(A-bot, N8, Mother's Day). I make lists of things to pack, lists of things to buy, lists of people to email, lists of goals, lists of things I want if I ever come into some money, lists of artists to check out, lists of music to check out, lists of websites to puruse, lists of books to read.

Ay, yay yay! You get the point.

But here's the silly thing. I also make lists of things to tell my boyfriend. HAHAHA! You see, he lives farfar away. Well. KINDA' farfar away. And I get SOOOOOOOO excited to tell him the jokes I have heard, or the funny scenes I have seen, or the fact that Walgreens spelled backwards is Sneerglaw <---------how EMOSEWA is that?????

Well. O.k. So.

We got to talking the other week about the fact that I am so much older than him. (But! In my defense, he TOTALLY has at least a hundred more grey hairs than me!) Anyhoo...that night, falling asleep, I was thinking about how I am a cradle robber (though when I mentioned it to him I accidentally said he was a graverobber (which in some ways is true...though no jewels will he find here, and also, really because I am a female and females TEND to have longer life expectencies...is that REALLY accurate??? )) Well. So...that night, while falling asleep, I realized that backards Robbing the Cradle turned into Cradle the Robin. But I was too tired to write it down to remember to tell my man in the morning. So. Here it is, weeks later, and my man mentions little birds. SO! The title of this little rant is something I meant to write on my list a long time ago.

And isn't that neat, A? Cradle the Robin. Yeah, yeah...I like the sounda' that.

Eye t'alex.

First Mate Trixie,
To spare you the gus, certain vegetables are ALWAYS apropos, or A.A., as I call it.
I was reminded today by Jolie Holland of something the Be Good Tanyas told me once, back in the wayback: the littlest birds sing the prettiest songs. It's a fine sentiment, but I've never heard a hummingbird sing. They just hum. Or play tiny tamborine.
They're so classy too. Their chests look like built-in cummerbunds. Always ready for the prom. Speaking of the animal prom, i'd like to see a candid photo of a hummingbird kissing an anteater.
Or maybe just two anteaters kissing. Either way.

More like Asparayuck!

Today, I went to Eat Drink and J & B Deli. BIG mistake. These folks, while I assume well-meaning, could not cook a piece of brocolli or spear of Agus if God himself came down and instructed them how. Harsh, I know. But how hard is it? Some steam, the correct amount of time, and VIOLA!

They DID hit it right in with their marinated tofu however, way to go, John!

I am having a hard time deciding what to write here. That IS once I even have time at all...

Captain? Maybe you could advise?

funny smell

I saw a girl with long dreads, olive drab pants, and birks today. I smelled cow manure. I thought of Vermont. I smelled something like bubble bath after that, and that didn't really yank me OUT of thinking about Vermont, but it wasn't so evocative either.
I didn't close the door on my car properly last night, so it wouldnt start this morning. Took the bus. I like the bus, and feel like a doofus for not taking it every day. I need a jump, but I am delighted that it isn't a priority.

The Sirens of Connecticut.

There at least 6 distinct sirens blaring outside this morning. It sounds like a police-fire-ambulance brigade is stuck in neutral, since I don't hear any doppler effect. Just got quieter for a bit, and here we are back again.
Word around town is that all the cruisers outside belong to officers attending some sort of educational thingy, and their graduation is today. Perhaps all these sirens are just the police-style graduation celebration?
If it's not, then someone is certainly in quite a pickle.

I'm totally Bloggin' it!

There are police cruisers lined up outside the nearby auditorium for the second day in a row. Unmarked yet identifiable by the little dealies theys got on their driver's side mirrors. I think they are watching classic cops&robbers movies. Or maybe they couldn't make it through all of Police Academy 1-6 plus Police Academy: Mission to Moscow yesterday. You'd think though, with all their training, that they could.

I have the sensation that I accomplished something yesterday, which is odd.

BTW -- I am totally Giallin.

The Briefing

I sliced my pinky finger knuckle open today on the side of a cardboard box.

My father sent me an article about Saul Bellow entitled "He Thrived on Chaos."

I have a boyfriend who does something that I will never, for the life of me, EVER understand, (He's a mathmagician) and we still have a gazillion things to talk about.

My dog was SO excited to see me tonight. SO excites, in fact, that he slipped on the bed when he was jumping off it to see me and actually smacked his face on the floor. How darling. (He's ok.)

I am going to watch that movie "Sideways" in a few minutes. Did you know that guy (the one who is also from "American Splendor") is from my town? That's right. Are you jealin'.?

I got a bike helmet. It's brown and mustard yellow. With mustard yellow skulls.

Two people informed me this week that they have become engaged (and not to each other). There MIGHT be something in the water. Be careful.

Sniglet Syndrome Sufferer

See Same.

Missing: Fingerprints

I've just been looking at wooden keyboards. They're very attractive, but the ones with wooden keys cost thou$and$. I have a semi-morbid curiosity about how long my keyboard can last. I'll let you imagine how disgusting this thing looks. I've had it since 1998, at least. It's seen beer, beard, bread, and surely things are breeding in there. Perhaps it's doing my immune system a service.

So, it turns out that Kokorin and Kopytov's translated proof of stuff about formal power series in the context of ordered groups is much less readable than B.H.Neumann's version. I feel like a doofus for not reading Neumann's sooner, especially since K&K cite it. I am so ex. Cite it.

Made A Vow

A serious vow was made today, on a sunlit street.
Never again, we swore. Never again, unless...
unless someone else (for whom we have no sympathy)
pays at the cuban restaurant. Seriously.
Where did I get the notion that cuban food
is spicy and well-seasoned?

I hold out hope that there are better places...

Vow made, I had my first icecream cone in a LONG time.
Waffle, almond joy. I would choose this icecream cone as an ambassador
to other dessert lands, for it was delicious and very communicative.

Sat in the Sun. (don't get Tue Fri, Mon!) ThuWed out some frozen goods.
Rode a bike. I hadn't ridden a bike since 2000, the year of science.
I desperately need more bife in my like.

At a party last night, I spent a long time outside on the porch,
just taking in the stars and sunset in reverse order.

Tally-ho!

Arrr, Mateys! I think we have a good Captain in Alfonse and I whole-heartedly look forward to sailing the high seas of the blogosphere with you. Now onward ho! Swab the blog!

(and other catchy sailor hoots and calls...)

To the galley! Knots! Fish! Squid! Anchors Away! Landlubber! Strong wind's a'blowin'!

Look, Team

This is a team effort. It's going to take a lot of hard work to be the best blest blog log we can beebe bathysphere. If we're going to defeat those defeatist chumps at Camp ChumpAWompa it won't take much but good solid team effort.
Crigsleydale-upon-Avon, you're in charge of the TEA. And you, Wayne, you construct the FORT. I'll deal with ME.
The rest of you, get the F to work!
Excelsior!

Sahara

There could hardly be less appropriate people to play Dirk Pitt and Al Giordano than Matthew M. and Steve Z., respectively. If Clive C. is upset, he is surely drowning his sorrows in antique automobiles.

callers...

Perhaps I should just make everything out of construction paper after all.

Grifts

Gifts received today:
one (1) bag Israeli "Couscous" -- I don't know why they've encapsulated the Couscous in Quotequotation markmarks. Every appearance of the word is thoroughly ensconced in them on the packaging.
.... and that's about it.
This could be the couscous break I've been looking for. Let me tell you a story, young person. Several years ago, on a Sierra Club outing to clean up some rather already-clean beach, I sampled some couscous. It had been prepared with some diced tomatoes, garlic, and perhaps some black pepper -- something flecky. It' s hard to remember the actual deets of the cous. I do remember, though, that we ate it fingerstyle, sitting on a jutting jetty. I was impressed.
I resolved to make couscous myself, but on my two subsequent attempts, it was a disaster. "Fuck This!," I further resolved. That last resolution is now dissolved with the advent of Israeli "CousCous."
----UPDATE----
The DISH on Israeli "couscous"